ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products has released its newest Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for low carbon footprint steel products: XCarb® recycled and renewably produced Granite® and Estetic® organic coated steels.

The lowest carbon footprint in the EU

This EPD, published by Institut Bauen und Umwelt e.V. and third party verified according to EN 15804+A2, places ArcelorMittal’s XCarb® recycled and renewably produced organic coated steel offer in the position of having the lowest carbon footprint in the EU with a reduction factor of 2.6 compared to standard prepainted steel.

For construction applications, such as roofing and cladding, XCarb® recycled and renewably produced organic coated steel enables a carbon footprint reduction of around 50% (module A1-A3) per m². In terms of carbon footprint per m², this demonstrates that steel is among the solutions with the lowest carbon footprint.

Best in class

With this new low carbon Granite® prepainted steel offer, ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products is combining:

• A best in class product range for durability with long-lasting guarantees for each type of environment
• A best in class product for reducing the carbon footprint
• A best in class product to meet aesthetic requirements thanks to a large selection of colours and textures

Download and discover this EPD – and more – in our EDP library.

Text:
Constructalia

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ArcelorMittal

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EPD for XCarb® recycled and renewably produced organic coated steel coils Granite® and Estetic®

We have done a bit of early spring cleaning at Constructalia with a new layout on our home page.

Direct navigation to sustainability topics

To make it easier to navigate to hot topics, we have added links to XCarb® information and to our library of Environmental Product Declarations from our home page.

Looking for our Product catalogue? We needed to make some space, but you can still get there in one click from the side menu or from the button at the bottom of the page.

About us

Constructalia - ArcelorMittal Europe for construction is one of the world's leading steel reference sites for architects, engineers, and contractors. With our content, features, and online services, we provide decisions makers in the construction industry with comprehensive information about structural and aesthetic steel solutions.

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Constructalia

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Constructalia

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As the ArcelorMittal group advances towards the decarbonisation of its products and processes with carbon neutrality as the final target, ArcelorMittal Construction’s product offer now also contains low carbon emission steel products for construction. ArcelorMittal Construction’s sandwich panels and long span decking range are now available in XCarb® recycled and renewably produced steel, providing another sustainable solution for the construction industry.

XCarb® recycled and renewably produced

ArcelorMittal’s XCarb® recycled and renewably produced steels are manufactured via the EAF route from a minimum of 75% scrap using 100% renewable energy, reducing CO2 emissions by around 70% compared to conventional steelmaking.

The availability of low carbon emission steel products is key for the construction industry to be able move towards more sustainable practices. With its XCarb® recycled and renewably produced steel offer, ArcelorMittal is currently the only steel manufacturer that supplies the construction industry with a comparable volume of decarbonised steel.

Available now: XCarb® recycled and renewably produced sandwich panels and long span decking

ArcelorMittal Construction, producer of innovative construction solutions for roofing, cladding, flooring, and light steel structures, is using XCarb® recycled and renewably produced steel for their sandwich panels and long span decking.

ArcelorMittal Construction customers can now purchase PIR (polyisocyanurate) sandwich panels of 80mm with an estimated 45% lower carbon footprint and long span decking profiles with a carbon footprint reduced by up to 60%.

EPDs for XCarb® recycled and renewably produced Ondatherm® sandwich panels and Hacierco® long span decking are expected to be published soon.

Jean Christophe Kennel, CEO of ArcelorMittal Construction said: “As the world leader in green steel production, ArcelorMittal is totally committed to reducing CO2 emissions. Our XCarb® RRP products mark a meaningful step towards decarbonisation within the construction industry and beyond.”

Laura Descos, Sustainability Manager at ArcelorMittal Construction, added: “We’re proud to offer products that help our customers meet their decarbonisation targets. Reduced carbon steel products can substantially shrink the carbon footprint of building projects and take us closer to meeting the objectives of the Paris Agreement.”

XCarb® Towards carbon neutral steel

Once produced, steel can be recycled infinitely without loss of quality, and it offers durable solutions making it a sustainable construction material. Steelmaking, however, is responsible for 7% of carbon emissions worldwide, which is why ArcelorMittal has created XCarb™, its global programme of steelmaking innovation to achieve carbon-neutral steel by 2050.  XCarb™ brings together all of ArcelorMittal’s reduced, low, and zero-carbon products and steelmaking activities, as well as wider initiatives and green innovation projects, into a single effort focussed on achieving demonstrable progress towards carbon neutral steel.

About ArcelorMittal Construction

ArcelorMittal Construction, as part of the ArcelorMittal Group, is the leading global provider of steel building systems and solutions, sandwich panels for roofing, cladding, composite floors, light gauge structures, and modular housing. Supported by vast technical expertise, ArcelorMittal Construction develops construction systems that provide exceptional thermal and energy savings, as well as acoustic, airtightness, and fire performances. The group is leading the market through its innovative steel solutions. To learn more, please contact your local sales representative today.

Text:
ArcelorMittal Construction
Constructalia

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© ArcelorMittal Construction

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For the reinforcement of the Gorinchem-Waardenburg (GoWa) dyke in the Netherlands, ArcelorMittal Projects and ArcelorMittal Sheet Piling provided 6 kms of steel sheet piles. These sheet piles not only protect the dyke against the risk of failure, but also help reduce the environmental impact of the project thanks to the reuse of used sheet piles, themselves made from recycled steel.

A country vulnerable to flooding

Water control in the Netherlands has always been important for the country's survival: about two-thirds of the Netherlands is vulnerable to flooding and sea surges, while one-third of the country's surface is below sea level. A network of more than 17 500 kms of dykes protects the 6000 kms of canals that run through the country.

Following the dramatic floods of 1953 in the Netherlands, the 'Delta' plan was launched to improve safety. It is estimated that the risk of flooding has been reduced to less than once every 4000 years in Zeeland and even once every 10 000 years in the Rotterdam area. Dyke reinforcement continues across the country, especially on the 1850 kms of dykes that do not yet meet the safety standards required by 2050.

Reinforcing the Gorinchem-Waardenburg dyke with ArcelorMittal's sheet piles

For the reinforcement of the Gorinchem-Waardenburg (GoWa) dyke, ArcelorMittal Projects and ArcelorMittal Sheet Piling provided steel sheet piles to customer Graaf Reinald Alliantie for more than 6 kms of the 23-km-long dyke. Sheet piles were the ideal solution to support and reinforce the structure against failure, especially where the surrounding space is limited and does not allow for the extension of its footprint on the ground.

Moreover, due to the scope of the project and the recent inclusion of environmental criteria in Dutch tendering procedures, the environmental impact of the selected solutions needed to be reduced as much as possible.

The project owner and ArcelorMittal worked together to reduce the carbon footprint of the project by applying the three important principles of the circular economy: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Reduce: Innovation in steel and rolling technology, as well as in installation equipment, has made it possible to reduce the quantity of steel needed to make the same retaining wall by more than 50% over the last few decades.

On the GoWa project, the sheet piles were supplied in high quality S430 GP steel to achieve the required strength with a lighter sheet pile profile and reduce the environmental impact.

ArcelorMittal's sheet piles, produced in the Belval mill in Luxembourg, use low-emission modes of transport such as railways and waterways. The steel is produced by the electric arc furnace (EAF) process, which produces less residue than primary blast furnace production - with up to five times less CO2 emissions.

The company’s new EcoSheetPile™ Plus brand of steel sheet piling, part of its XCarb® recycled and renewably produced initiative, takes a further step by using only electricity from renewable solar or wind sources. This achieves a 30% lower carbon footprint than with the usual energy mix.

Reuse: Although the reuse of used steel sheet piles is an excellent solution for temporary applications, they are more rarely used in permanent structures such as dyke reinforcement.

For the GoWa dyke project, the client deliberately selected used sheet piles. In locations where there was a risk of hydraulic failure, a used sheet pile wall can fulfil this function as well as a new sheet pile wall. The main difference is that the total greenhouse gas emissions from the production phase of the steel sheet piles do not have to be included in the environmental balance of the project as they have already been partially included in the previous temporary applications.

Recycle: Unlike other materials used in retaining walls and deep foundations, steel sheet piles can be extracted from the ground at the end of the structure's life and be 100% recycled to produce new steel products of the same or even higher quality.

The reinforcement of the GoWa dyke has a theoretical life span of 100 years. Since the corrosion of sheet piles embedded in the dyke body is minimal, the sheet piles can be extracted and 100% recycled at the end of life of the dyke.

The Gorinchem-Waardenburg dyke reinforcement project is another great example of how ArcelorMittal sheet piles efficiently protect vulnerable locations from the risks of flooding. Our teams continue to develop innovative solutions, responding to the needs of all civil engineering actors (project owners, engineering firms, construction contractors), optimising costs, total steel weight, resource consumption, and environmental impact.

Text:
ArcelorMittal Europe Communications
Constructalia

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ArcelorMittal

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Gorinchem-Waardenburg (GoWa) dyke reinforcement